Abstract
The main goal of the present study is to consider the technology of preparing multi-ecosystem ponds in order to extract pure halite and discuss the sedimentology of this valuable mineral in the shallow modern artificial brine ponds. The lake water passes by three main stages to be prepared and to be ready for extraction of halite from suitable brine solution. The first stage is the concentration stage ponds, where the lake water flows through a series of ponds to increase brine salinity and deposit less soluble salts first (calcium carbonate and calcium sulphate). The other more soluble salts (sodium chloride and magnesium chloride) remain in solution. The second stage is the crystallization stage ponds, where the brine is pumped to solar ponds and left to increase brine density again until most of the halite mineral has crystallized and deposited. The pure halite crystals are crystallized in different sedimentological (e.g., rafts, mounds, cumulates and bottom crusts) and petrographic (e.g., euhedral cubic to subhedral, distorted platy and chevron crystals) forms. Finally, the third stage is the storage ponds, where the residual bittern solution that is left over after recovery of sodium chloride is pumped to storage ponds to precipitate the residual high soluble minerals and salts (magnesium sulphate and magnesium chloride). Saltworks from El-Bardawil Lake don't have economic impact only, but also have environmental impacts through decreasing the salinity of the lake and accordingly kept its ecological systems.